United States

8 Best Things to Do in San Francisco in 1 Day

San Francisco from Twin Peaks Overlook
San Francisco from Twin Peaks Overlook
Discover the 8 best things to do in San Francisco sightseeing in one day during a trip along the US West Coast

For different reasons, when you make a trip along the west coast of the United States, at the time of visit San Francisco for tourism You may find that you cannot dedicate too much time to it.

Although an ideal visit to San Francisco well worth a minimum of three days, perhaps you can only dedicate one day o two days to explore this incredibly attractive city.

But this should not be an impediment for you to do the essential visits of this city of California.

In order to help you plan visit from San Francisco en one day o two days, then I am going to recommend which are the places essential to see.

Of course, to be able to make these visits in such a short period of time, it is essential that you have a rental car.

In this regard, I can tell you that compared to what can happen in other cities, such as New York, in San Francisco you can move around very easily with your vehicle and you will not have problems parking.

The best things to see and do in San Francisco in one day

Where to see the best panoramic views of San Francisco

The first and recommended thing is to climb the hill of Twin Peaks, from where you will have the best panoramic views of the city and the Bay.

This will allow you to position yourself for the subsequent visit of the city and to measure the distances.

San Francisco Golden Gate Suspension Bridge
San Francisco Golden Gate Suspension Bridge

Crossing the Golden Gate in San Francisco

My advice is that you then go directly to the Golden Gate, the famous suspension bridge that links the San Francisco peninsula with the north.

This impressive bridge is the true gateway to the San Francisco Bay.

To begin with, the Golden Gate You will cross it in your car, but what you have to do is go to the gazebo (point view) from the north bank, which is on the right, just after crossing the bridge.

It is really from said viewpoint, and not on board the car, that you will be able to enjoy the best panoramic views of the Golden Gate, and also in the background you can see the skyline from the city of San Francisco.

Nob Hill in San Francisco
Nob Hill in San Francisco

On this visit, my advice is that you don't miss the opportunity to take a brief walk across the bridge, just as many of us tourists who visit it do.

Where to see the Cuestas de San Francisco

Another of the icons of this very interesting Californian city are its famous slopes.

Indeed, part of the city center sits on a hill so that several avenues extend along it with very striking slopes.

To see these steep streets you must go to the district of Nob Hill, north of the city, where from different points you will have curious views of them.

Y the most famous slope in San Francisco, whose visit must be obligatory, is the Lombard street, where you find those super steep curves that you have seen in so many movies.

Trams in San Francisco for tourists
Trams in San Francisco for tourists

There you will be able to see the curious scene of cars descending and zig-zagging down a steep slope.

Tour on traditional trams along the slopes of San Francisco

Another very popular activity among tourists visiting San Francisco is get to know the Nob Hill neighborhood.

And for this the best way is to get on board one of the traditional cable trams which Nowadays they have become a tourist attraction more of the city.

The only line of San Francisco streetcars that remains in operation connects the city center with the coastal area of La Marina. and in this one Nob Hill tour It goes up and down the famous slopes.

You will see that these trams are full of tourists, and keep in mind that the price of the ticket does not correspond to that of public transport, but to that of a tourist activity.

Painted ladies Victorian houses in Alamo Park in San Francisco
Painted ladies Victorian houses in Alamo Park in San Francisco

Where to see Victorian houses in San Francisco

Another reason that makes the city of San Francisco very attractive is the special charm of some streets that show a surprising european atmosphere.

In those streets you can find a succession of victorian style houses so that seeing some corners can give you the feeling of being in a city in England.

While these Victorian houses can be seen in various corners of the residential district of Haigh Ashbury, the advice is to go to Alamo Park where are the famous ones victorian houses known as the Painted ladies.

Its colorful facades fit into the aforementioned atmosphere of a European style neighborhood, with hippie-style design and clothing stores, a trend that became fashionable in this residential neighborhood in the 60s of the last century.

Chinatown Chinatown in San Francisco
Chinatown Chinatown in San Francisco

San Francisco Chinatown

In many cities around the world it is increasingly common to have a Barrio chino…and San Francisco is one of them.

What's more, the San Francisco Chinatown It is one of the best examples you can find in the world of a Chinatown , which, for example, is much more attractive than New York.

On your walk through Chinatown at some point you will have the feeling of being in a Chinese city, as you will not only see establishments of Chinese merchants, but also buildings whose architecture in some way emulates that of China.

Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco

And as happens in other North American cities such as the aforementioned New York, in San Francisco there is also a Italian neighborhood.

Corner of the Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco
Corner of the Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco

Very close to Chinatown you can take a walk through the district of North Beach, which is also known as Little Italy, where you will find an atmosphere of Italian restaurants.

Leisure areas in San Francisco

To complete the day of sightseeing in the city, the last essential visit in San Francisco is to go to Fisherman's Wharf,

This is the old fishing port of the city, which has currently become the great leisure and entertainment area of the same, with restaurants and bars always very popular with tourists.

Obviously, you still have many other attractions to visit in the city of San Francisco, but if your time availability is limited, you should leave them pending for a new trip.

Of course, with the visits that I propose in this article, you make sure see the essentials in San Francisco.

Tours and guided visits in San Francisco

Now, if what you prefer is to join an organized group to make a specific visit, here you have information with tours and guided visits in Spanish in San Francisco, which includes the best tourist activities.

You can also consult the information with the best excursions around San Francisco.

And possibly this information will also be useful to you to search hotel in San Francisco en booking.com.

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

Comments

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  • Can you visit these 8 visits in one day, two, or do they require more days? thank you

    I await your prompt response 🙂

  • Hello, I want to make the trip in December (last week) by car from San Francisco to Las Vegas, will it be safe in the winter?

  • I would like to know what the requirements are to rent a car, we plan to travel and from what I read it is good to go by car to see, thank you

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